Forces of Nature
by The Undercover Poet
Summary: Legolas, a prince with a painful past, Ava a woman set out to save her world.  Joined together with the fellowship to save what they care for, even if they don't always get along. Could they overcome their differences? Maybe even love?LXOC Tenth-Walker
1. Lorien

**Greetings my fellow Hobbits, no?**

**Elves? Better?**

**Anyway, I've decided to write a LOTR story. Hope it goes as I planned. Please ignore all the specific details of the books/movies…**

**I love them, but my brain is so muddled with other fanfiction stories that some of my facts are a bit affected. I've also **adjusted** a few things in the before LOTR FOTR 'history'. **

**I hope this story is something different…if not…I still hope you enjoy it. **

**And if you don't…I've got a Balrog in my basement and he is very hungry **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tolkien's work. The only thing I own is my imagination… **

**Enjoy….**

Ava halted when Lorien came into view. The mysterious trees stretched out like a thick dark green line over the horizon and a strange silence emanated from their shadows. Ava chewed nervously on her bottom lip, unsure of what to do next. She knew that even though she could not see the elves, they were watching her intently. It must be a rare sight to see a human woman riding alone in these lands. She wondered if they are as the people in Gondor described them. Cold, dangerous, mysterious and beautiful. Oh and immortal… But most of them have never even seen an elf, so Ava was not too worried about superstitious talk. She did not even know elves existed! Well, they definitely did not exist on Earth, but Middle-Earth was a complete new world with strange possibilities.

Orion, her horse, sifted impatiently, twitching his ears irritably. He could undoubtedly also feel the abnormal stillness in the air. Ava wondered if Orion had ever encountered elves before and if he was just as anxious as she was. He, after all was `n Horse from Middle-Earth and might be more relaxed than she was.

The sun was shining hot on Ava's back and the heat was becoming almost just as unbearable as the silence. A light sheen of sweat gathered on her brow and she wiped at it with the back of her hand. The cool shadows of the trees almost seemed inviting now compared to the unforgivable glare of the sun. Out of habit, Ava glanced down at her ring and saw the stone glinting bright yellow. It was a gift from her father when she was little. It was almost like a mood ring that changed colour in different climates, but this one was more accurate compared to them. Ava's heart squeezed uncomfortably when she thought about her father, but she pushed the thoughts back and focused on her 'mission'.

Ava lifted her head back up to the forest and shielded her eyes from the light to see further.

No movement.

Seeing that the elves did not yet acknowledged her presence, Ava lightly pressed her feet against the horse and as Orion started a slow gallop, she steered him towards the border. His hooves seemed to thud more deafeningly than before.

Ava neared the woods' bordered when a silver moving glint in the sky caught her eye. She jerked on the leather reigns of the horse, instructing him to halt. The glint headed at an alarming speed towards her, but she did not move from her spot. She knew that with the perfect aim of the elves, the warning arrow would either pass over her head or land just in front of her. Or so she was once told.

Still, it was nerve-racking to know that she was probably being observed by an army of elven archers.

Ava watched as a perfect silver arrow struck the ground before her. Not knowing what to do next, she slowly raised her hands in the air, indicating that she meant no harm.

The silence was broken when the rapid sound of hooves drifted through the air trailed by a light bell-like ringing. Ava watched as a male figure on a white horse approached her. The unmistakable dark brown lustre of elven hair whipped over his shoulders and Ava was suddenly struck speechless. This was her first encounter with an elf! Her heart made nervous little stutters in her chest. How does one react when encountering a mystical creature? Ava took a deep breath and watched as the elf halted in front of her.

She was taken aback by the extreme beauty of the man and for a moment all thoughts of etiquette vanished. Ava stared shamelessly open mouthed at the person in front of her. His pale face was strong, accentuated with high cheek bones and a firm, tight jaw. His grey eyes seemed to demand respect and authority, but Ava could also detect something else. Besides the intimidating stare, she also noticed the little twinkle of curiosity there.

"Man gonoded eraid derithach?" the elf demanded in his fair language.

Man gonoded eraid derithach? – What are you doing here?

**So any good? I know not much to work on, but if I get **_**one**_** review….I'll post the next chapter….and dedicate it to him/her…**

**Just to clear things up a bit, in this story the LOTR books does not exist. Well, none of Tolkien's book exists. This is a complete new world to Ava and is not fictional. **

**Oh, and I'm looking for a Beta. Know anybody good? **

**Love,**

**The Poet **


	2. The Encounter

**As promised, here is your next chappie…**

**And I dedicate this to Pix2345 for my first review! Thank you so much!**

**And so far my Balrog is still going hungry… **

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing, except a really hot naked Orlando Bloom poster…(What? A girl can dream, right?) **

Ava's brow knitted together and shook her head. She did not understand the language and desperately hoped that he knew English. How foolish to go into an unknown land and not even speak their tongue.

"I'm afraid I do not understand you. Do you perhaps speak English?" Ava replied.

Her hands were still in the air and she slowly lowered them. The elf gazed intently upon her face and cocked his head to the one side. Unexpectedly Ava heard a wavering whistle carry on the wind. The note fluctuated in an extraordinarily mesmeric way and Orion raised his head, ears rotating to the sound. It was only afterwards that she realised that the whistle came from the elf in front of her. Movement behind his head caught her attention and in the distance she saw another horse heading their way.

It took mere seconds for the rider to reach them and for a fleeting moment Ava envied the skill and swiftness of the elf. If she only had a fraction of the ability to ride like that, she would have reached Lorien days ago. The elf's hair was of a light, golden colour and hung sleek over his shoulders. On each side were two thin braids, one tucked behind his pointed ear. The elf had an incredibly handsome face, with a strong jaw, smooth skin and piercing blue eyes. Ava watched as this attractive elf halted next to his companion. A quick exchange of elvish words passed between them before he directed his attention to her.

"It is strange to see a lone maiden near the Southern side of Lorien. Tell me, have you lost your company and your way?" the blonde elf said in flawless English.

Relieved that she was able to communicate in her own language, Ava responded with more confidence "I have been travelling unaided for days in these harsh lands in hope to find Lorien."

"Then pray tell me your name and purpose of your visit to Lorien" he requested politely, but he did not seem very friendly. His jaw was flexed and hard. An uncomfortable shiver went down Ava's back.

"My name is Ava Fairlin and I have an urgent message for Lady Galadriel" her voice faltered a bit at the last word. The dark haired elf gave a sudden cry at his lady's name. Ava gave the elf a strange look and continued to talk to the blond one "It is a matter of great importance that I speak with her"

"Surely it cannot be such an important message if they send an unaccompanied woman to deliver it. Important messages from your kind are delivered by squadrons of men or heroes. May I ask the sender of this message'?"

Ava could feel a prickle of annoyance at the elf's words, but swiftly suppressed the feeling before it could completely surface. She however could not control the little irritation that slipped into her voice when she replied. "From where I come from, no man was _experienced_ enough to be assigned this quest"

"What a weak folk you must be!" the blond elf laughed "To send a woman to do a man's job!"

Ava's face turned bright scarlet at his words. Not sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. The elf quickly translated the conversation to his friend and soon enough he was also laughing at her expense.

"Do not laugh at something you know nothing about!" she exclaimed when their amusement did not cease. Ava was weary and was in no mood to be teased by the daft elves. She was also in desperate need of rest and food. Not to mention the great burden plaguing her heart and thoughts.

Ava was not sure if it was the gravity of her voice or the flash of the anger in her eyes, but the elves stopped laughing and looked at her curiously. Even the one that could not understand her language.

Ava remembered what her father told her about how she could not reveal that she comes from another world and considered her word carefully.

"I bring a message from the Grey Havens" she clarified in an even voice. Her face did not falter at the lie. After all, she could hardly say that she brings a message from another world, they would think her crazy. The Grey Havens was apparently the closest thing to which this realm's people could relate to, but not investigate. Ava had actually no clue what the Grey Havens were, but the phrase seemed to always work for her father in Gondor. Though, the people of Gondor also did not seem quite sure of what the Grey havens were….

The absolute shock displayed on the attractive elf's face was very satisfactory after his flippant behaviour, but it soon it turned from surprise to complete outrage.

"What would a mere mortal know about the Grey Havens!" he demanded. His eyes seemed to blaze a deep blue fire and his already tight jaw clenched in a very hard line. Ava swallowed uncomfortably at the hard look in his face. Shit, the Gondor people were right; definitely dangerous.

_I wonder why the elf is so upset about the Grey Havens. _Ava thought. Ava shook the uncomfortable stare from the elf and tried to alter her face to be as equally threatening! No backing down!

"Once again, elf, you just assume that I am a mortal!" Ava countered with a firm attitude and watched the face in front of her process this new information. She was not really supposed to reveal this information, but she seemed to get nowhere with this stubborn elf. Were all elves this hard to deal with? Now they would ask questions about how a human could be immortal. Isn't that just peachy…?

The thought sometimes confused her in the beginning, but at least she will not stay immortal forever…if that made any sense. Besides, she is only like a sort of half mortal, right? It is only time which does not affect her, but countless other things could still kill her. Ava shook her head at these confusing thoughts.

The blond elf turned to look at his companion and quickly whispered something to him. The hasty exchange of words seemed to aggravate the dark haired elf and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the other.

With an irate click of his tongue, the elf commanded his horse to turn back towards the woods and dashed off at a great speed to get the back under the covers of the trees. Ava waited for the blond elf to give her some sort of sign to either follow or wait, but he sat motionless on his horse and watched the woods in the distance.

**Ok, so there we go with chapter two. Bilbo inspired me so I wrote chapter three as well. (And it is a bit longer) Just need to check some details….**

**Virtual Cookies for reviews! **

**Love,**

**The Poet.**


	3. The grouchy elf

**Chapter 3!**

**My Balrog got too hungry and escaped! Aaaaargh! Run for cover! **

**But wait, don't fear, Glorfindel is out to get him Go elf-boy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of LOTR except for Legolas….**

**No?**

**Damn….**

They sat in silence and the sun got agonisingly hot, Ava turned to look at the elf, but he did not seem to notice the heat. How that was possible she did not know, because he was wearing a long, grey sleeved type of tunic and brown leggings with a cloak! So are elves then cold blooded as well?

Orion gave an impatient snort and stomped his right hoof against the ground. He looked at the cool shadows of the forest and wondered why his master did not steer them there.

"So, may I know your name?" Ava asked after the silence stretched out for too long. The elf's ears pricked, but made no other indication that he heard her. His gaze was still set upon the trees in the distance.

"So rude…" Ava muttered and wiped the tiny droplets of sweat from her brow. She really thought elves to be more friendly and outgoing. The elf next to her gave a quick glance toward her and furrowed his brow.

"Daro"

Ava turned to look at the elf "Well, Daro, it is a pleasure to meet you" This was untrue, but at least she could try and be polite. She will need their help after all…so she could afford a bit of a suck-up attitude.

He suddenly gave a low humourless chuckle and shook his head from side to side. Ava could not understand what could cause such a response and scrunched up her face at the weird elf beside her.

"Daro is not my name" he clarified "It means, 'stop' in my language"

"Why did you say it then?" Ava asked annoyed "I was not going anywhere!"

"Not intentionally, but your horse had other ideas. He was ready to make for the shadows if I did not command him to stay" the elf replied and sounded bored in explaining himself.

Ava rolled her eyes at the elf and wondered if her entire trip would consist of dealing with these obstinate beings.

"Whatever…" she mumbled. This conversation was getting her nowhere.

Ava irritably tucked at the flowing, white blouse she was wearing and pondered if she could loosen a button. It would probably be inappropriate for her to do that. She knew that with human culture here it was considered inappropriate when women revealed too much flesh, but did it also relate to the elves? After leaving so quickly she did not have time to pack more suitable clothing for this realm. She perhaps could have asked her 'contact' for the clothes they always wear when transported here, but the urgency just did not leave any time for that. She was in a way thankful that she did not have to wear it right now. Woman's clothing here was always so hot and uncomfortable. Ava was tired, hungry, lonely, frustrated, angry, sad and, due to the elf, annoyed. Too many emotions to carry at once and it made her feel even more confused than she already was.

She placed her hand in front of her mouth to hide a yawn, but the sudden wave of weariness consumed her and she blinked a couple of times to keep her eyes open. The uncomfortable heat was not helping her to stay awake either. She rubbed her eyes with one hand and yawned again.

The buzzing of bees nearby distracted Orion's attention from the woods and the horse looked hopefully in the direction of the noise. His big, black, beady eyes scanned the lone trees in the distance in search of the golden treat. Orion had an unusual interest in the taste of honey. On Ava's first encounter with the horse, Orion nearly bit her fingers off when he stole the honey sandwich from her hand.

Ava noticed the horse's distraction and flicked one of his ears with her finger.

"Orion, focus" she whispered and watched as the horse turned his gaze back towards the wood. He gave another impatient huff and flattened his ears giving the impression of charging away.

"What's wrong with your horse?" the elf asked, raising a perfect eyebrow and casting an odd glance at Orion.

"He thinks that the elven hospitality is dreadful" Ava replied flatly and reached for the water bottle in her satchel. Time to wake up. She could feel the curious gaze of the elf upon her and when she looked up, she saw him staring at the bottle. It was a plain, see through, plastic bottle with a few grooves marked into the sides, nothing special, but to the elf it was an unfamiliar object. Yes, the elves did possess bottles, but all of them were made from glass and with his keen elven eyes he could easily see the difference between the crafty elven glass bottles and this one.

"What?" Ava asked rudely after a swig of water. She swiped her mouth with the back of her hand to catch a droplet that escaped from her lips.

"Curious" he shrugged and faced back to the front.

Ava shook her head at the elf and then took another mouthful from the bottle. The cool water down her throat was soothing and she felt more awake. She poured a little bit of the water between Orion's ears and the horse shook his head lightly to spread the cool water down his face and neck. The horse bopped his head backwards indicating Ava to drizzle more water, but just as she lifted the bottle the elf spoke again.

"Daro!" came the irritated command from his lips and he threw an annoyed look at the two.

"What now? Orion was perfectly still this time!" Ava opposed the elf's remark and shot him an equally aggravated look.

"I was not talking to the horse"

"Then what is your problem?"

"You attract flies by wetting the horse. It stinks"

This time it was Orion who gave the elf a death glare. He snorted and did not divert his gaze from the elf. Ava watched with mild curiosity at the behaviour of Orion and was amazed that the horse seemed to really understand what they were saying. She thought about it on previous occasions, but never really investigated the matter. She just thought he was a smart animal.

"You have a very unusual horse" the elf remarked and shifted uncomfortably when Orion still stared him down.

Ava smiled, patted the horse between the ears and crooned in a sweet voice "Yes, Orion knows how to make rude elves feel uncomfortable"

The elf gave another sigh and leaned his head forward. One of his thin braids escaped from behind his pointed ear. "It's not that I am rude, I just dislike pointless conversation"

"Well, then you must better stop talking now" Ava dismissed him and purposely continued to sprinkle water on Orion's head. She was not sure what the dominant cause was; relieving Orion from the heat or annoying the elf.

The elf ignored her and kept his gaze fixed at the gap between the trees. He was relieved to see an elf emerge from the line of trees and beckoned for them to come. The elf in the distance gave a sort whistle and then disappeared back into the thicket.

Both horses took off in the direction of the whistle. A startled Ava clutched onto the reins and tried to regain some stability from her wavering balance, but Orion was determined to keep his pace with the elven horse and was also quite relieved to be moving again. The plastic water bottle nearly slipped from her hand as she tried to hold onto the runaway horse. Stupid elf could have given her a warning!

They moved from underneath the sun's glare to the shelter of the woods. The coolness of the air both relieved Ava and Orion, but soon their attention was occupied by looking down at the faces of a group of elves. They stared at her with a mixture of interest and distrust.

Ava shifted awkwardly under their gazes and felt herself going red. She looked nervously at them and wondered if she was in any danger. All of the elves were armed archers and two in the distance even had their bows drawn. Ava also noticed that almost all of the elves were dark haired except for the elf on the horse next to her and another elf standing tall in the middle of the assembly. He wore similar attire like the other elves, all in browns and greys, but his tunic was hemmed with olive and golden leaves. Ava noticed that he had handsome features and wondered how old he was.

"Vanidar, I present you Lady Ava Fairlin, Messenger from the Grey Havens" the elf next to her suddenly announced in a clipped tone. He lightly hopped from his horse and stepped towards her, holding out his strong, but slender hand for her to take. Even though Ava was not all too fond of this rude elf, she allowed him to help her from the horse. She was not at all surprised to see the tall, handsome blond elf, named Vanidar, strode forward and respectfully bowed his head in greeting. Not sure what to do, Ava gave a short curtsy, without a dress, and blushed furiously when the elf looked at her quizzically. How do elven customs work? Don't they curtsey?

"Welcome, Lady Ava to Lorien. Meet Legolas Greenleaf, our _guest_ from Mirkwood" Vanidar said and motioned to the elf she 'knew' the longest. He gave a short nod and Ava scrunched up her face at the elf.

"Legolas" she tested the name on her tongue and then muttered an afterthought "Think, Daro suits him better"

Ava clasped a hand over her mouth after the words escaped her lips. She was just as surprised at her own bold statements like the other elves, and could only blame her weariness for such a remark. There was a flicker of amusement in Vadinar's eyes before he commented "Why, Legolas! What did you do to deserve such an unusual title from the Lady?"

Legolas did not look at Ava when he answered, but she could see that the reply was directed more towards her than Vadinar "Do not blame me for her ignorance in our language. I was merely instructing her horse not to run away when she mistakenly assumed that, 'daro' was my name"

"I would not have thought that, if you would have just answered my question, elf!" Ava seethed before Vadinar could speak. She took a step towards Legolas out of anger, not sure what she would actually accomplish by that, but it still made her seem more daring than just standing there.

Ava could hear the strain on the bows as the elves pulled their strings tighter. She was supposed to come here in amity, but Legolas just seemed to aggravate her so much that all thoughts of self-control seemed too fled from her mind!

Vadinar stepped in between the livid woman and proud elf with his hands raised "Peace, my friends!" he controlled, but he found the argument quiet interesting. Vadinar has never seen anyone talk to the Prince like that, but then yet again…she did not know he was a prince. Legolas discarded the title after the incident with his father and absolutely forbade anyone addressing him by it. He did not mind being associated with Mirkwood still, he loved his people and the wood, but that was the main reason he left them. Vadinar shook his head lightly and redirected his thoughts back to the matter on hand.

"Peace" he repeated and placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder. "Legolas, why don't you go and fetch Haldir? He will need to escort Lady Fairlin to our Queen."

Legolas gave a curt nod and turned to the direction of where Haldir was last seen. He walked away with long, quiet strides and Ava felt the insane urge to pick up a rock and throw it against the back of his head.

Vadinar turned to Ava and clasped her hands between his "I apologise for Legolas' behaviour. He is a guest in our woods, but has been here for so long, that we consider him as one of our own and therefore we do not approve of his actions".

"Why would you send out a guest to confront a stranger?" Ava could not help asking. It was like having a guest at your house answering the door of _your_ party.

"Well, Legolas and Elior were riding through the woods, when Legolas caught site of you. He fired a warning arrow, but Elior, young elf as he is, wanted a confrontation and rode out to meet you. He has never seen a human woman before and curiosity got the better of him. He soon realised that he cannot understand the common language and signalled for Legolas to join him. After your explanation, Legolas instructed Elior to come and find us. We apologise for taking our time..."

"Elior seemed angry when he left, did he not wish to bring me here?" Ava asked and saw a faint smile on Vadinar's lips. He raked his hand uncomfortably through his hair before answering.

"Elior was upset with Legolas for staying with you. He wanted to be the one escorting you. We do not always get enough chances to be in our Lady's presence"

"Oh. So why did Legolas insist in taking me? "

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Vadinar stated and Ava blushed at his comment. She saw some of the other elves listening intently to their conversation and wondered what they thought of her. First impressions were lasting ones and so far all she did was to pick a fight with one of them and then interrogate the other. Mind you, she only now thought how she must look and smell to them. Not having a bath for weeks, hair tangled, sweaty clothes form the hot weather and probably bad breath. She tried to brush her teeth along the way, but water was scares and a blop of toothpaste in her mouth was not always very appealing.

"No matter, you can ask all your questions later. For now we must make haste. I hear Haldir approach and we need to be on our way." Vadinar turned to meet a dark haired elf with deep brown eyes. His face looked kind and the soft smile that lingered on his lips seemed to make Ava feel more relaxed.

**Mmmmm, grouchy Legolas….don't you just love him?**

**So if you could be any character of any book/movie.**

**Who would you be?**

**If you like this story, please do not hesitate to review. And flames are welcome too…just don't be too harsh! I will run of to Tortuga and drink a whole bottle of rum! Who know what nonsense I will write then!**

**Love,**

**The Poet**


	4. The River

**Chapter 4**

**Yes, it's another update. I just could not wait another day to upload it! So here we go! Two Chapters in one day! Yay**

**Pirate Girls: Sure I have a whole bottle of rum!**

**Little me: Thanks, I will try and give longer chapters. This one I already wrote before your review, but the coming ones should be better! **

**Disclaimer: My birthday is this month, so maybe I'll get ownership of Tolkien's work, but at this stage I still own nothing. Makes me feel kinda broke and useless….**

"Haldir, Meet Lady Ava Fairlin." Vadinar introduced, Ava smiled and out of habit held out her hand for him to shake. Haldir looked down at her hand, and then awkwardly reached for it. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a quick soft kiss on the back. Ava's face turned flame red and she felt very embarrassed by the action. Stupid, of course the elf would not know about shaking hands! He must think her silly!

"Welcome to Lorien. I'm Haldir and I will accompany you to our Lady Galadriel" he said in a smooth, even voice. His features were pleasant to look at and the relaxed atmosphere he produced made Ava feel comfortable in his presence. Ava liked this elf and soon she bid goodbye to Vadinar and the other unknown elves.

The forest was quiet, except for Orion's big hooves hitting the ground in a rhythmic way. Sometimes an unfamiliar bird would chipper or call and Ava would excitedly glance in the direction of the noise, hoping to spot the elusive bird. She was quite fond of birds and was excited to see if Middle – Earth had different species than her home did. On her previous occasions to Gondor she only spotted crows, sparrows and hawks…nothing impressive.

Haldir next to her was also very quiet and sometimes she would glance over to him, just to check if he was still there. Ava always thought that the big, loud, brawny men was the ones that emits the most fear from opponents, but there was something about the elves silent, calculated ways that was a bit more frightening. Ava was not afraid of Haldir, but an image of Legolas suddenly flashed before her eyes. The way is face hardened when she spoke about the grey Havens.

Haldir walked a little bit behind Ava and she wondered why he did that. Usually the leader would walk in front to show the way, but in this case Ava just walked blindly along the forest with Haldir trailing her. She tried different directions, but he would never correct her or lead them into a different direction.

The deeper they walked into the wood, the more the scenery changed. The trees got higher and stranger with thick, swirling roots sticking from the soil, golden leaf flowers sprouted from the ground and small, clear streams crossed their path. The place was absolutely breath taking and Ava was mesmerised by its beauty. She wished that she had her camera with her, but that would only label her as a strange witch and be burned at the stake.

"Haldir, what are these golden flowers called?" Ava asked when they reached a clearing with hundreds of them. They stretched out like a golden see before them.

"It is called Elanor" Haldir smiled and picked one "It's a reference to the sun"

He tucked the little flower in one of his button holes. "You may pick some if you like"

Ava bent down to also pick one and brought it up close. She has never seen anything more beautiful. It smelled like summer if that was possible. Ava pushed the flower behind her ear and Haldir motioned for her to continue walking. Ava just aimlessly walked into another direction with the elf trailing. She thought that this might be a way of getting her lost so that she won't know the direction of the city.

It was working.

Haldir would sometimes randomly comment on plants and shrubs they found along the way. He would give her the elvish name and the common name for the plant and explain if they had any worthy attributes. Ava like these bits of information and actually paid attention to what the gentle elf had to say. Orion was also very peaceful as Ava led him along. Sometimes he would nibble at a passing plant or stop to sniff a flower. The first time he did that, both Haldir and Ava watched him astonished. Did horses ever smell flowers?

After they walked without direction for about an hour and a half, Haldir suddenly diverted their course and took the lead. Ava and Orion followed him until they reached a cliff looking down into a wide river. Ava could see that the current was tremendously strong and she wondered how they would cross it without being swept away. The noise of the white, rapids below her was slightly frightening to her due to a previous bad encounter with something similar.

When she was younger Ava once went river rafting with her parents on the Orange River. The current got too rough for her dad to handle the little kayak and in one big splash wave; Ava was swept from the boat and emerged into the rough water. How she got out alive was a mystery to her, because she blacked out after a while from swallowing too much water. Since then she always had a fear of water.

Ava was scanning the area, looking for a bridge when out of nowhere an arrow attached to a rope shot over the river from the opposite bank and neatly struck the end of a big tree. Haldir walked over to the tree, pulled the silver arrow out and started tying the cord around the worn trunk. He made a couple of difficult looking knots and then pulled the rope to check if it was secure.

Then unbelievingly Ava watched as a blond elf quickly ran across the rope like it was a broad bridge. The elf even did it with so much grace that Ava felt a pang of jealousy sweep through her. Why can't she have that type of elegance and stability? And to make matters worse as soon as she realised who she was jealous of the feeling was soon replaced by annoyance. Ava watched as Legolas neatly crossed the river and lightly jumped from the cord to the ground in front of them.

As Legolas approached the two on the other side back he could clearly see that Ava was not very happy to see him. Her face was set like she ate something foul. Her hair was still windblown like earlier, but an Elanor flower was now stuck in the tangles. Legolas lightly jumped from the rope and faced Haldir. He lifted a quizzical brow when he spotted the same little golden flower in his buttonhole.

Legolas did not even look at Ava and quickly addressed Haldir in Elvish. Their lips moved rapidly and by their speed talking Ava could sense that they had some sort of disagreement. Why was it that Legolas seemed to bring the worst out of every one? First her, then Elior, not to mention Orion and now poor Haldir! The elf she actually liked!

Orion's gaze was also fixed upon the two elves and by his snorting; Ava could almost imagine he had the same thoughts as she did. The conversation went on for a while and occasionally the two elves looked over to the woman and her horse. Ava tapped her foot impatiently.

Orion's name was mentioned a couple of times and she wondered what heated debate was going on that concerned her horse. Orion however seemed to understand what the argument was about and neighed quite loudly at a certain point, startling Ava out of her reverie. She regarded the beast next to her and noticed that he looked kind of….comical? His neigh almost sounded like a laugh, if that was even possible, and Ava was somewhat taken aback by this strange incidence. Legolas however did not appreciate the snickering of the horse and gave Haldir a "You see what I mean?" look. The argument was settled and the elves turned towards them.

"Ava, you must go with Legolas to see Lady Galadriel. She is looking forward in meeting you." Haldir spoke, his voice friendly, but Ava could detect a lingering displeasure from before "I will take your steed to the stables and tend to him there"

"I thought _you_ were taking me to your Lady?" Ava almost pleaded "And why can't Orion go with me? I would like to see to him myself"

"It is still quite a journey by horse to reach the city and we cannot keep our Lady waiting. Legolas does not wish to lead your horse to the palace. Your beast seemed to have caught a… disliking in him" Ava snorted at this comment, but Haldir continued talking "You will follow Legolas over the rope and take the short cut to the palace. I will follow with Orion and meet you there"

Ava did not hear the end of the sentence. Her mind was stuck by the 'follow Legolas over the rope' section and she could feel slipping into panic mode. Haldir gave a short whistle and Orion obediently followed the elf. He also seemed to prefer Haldir over Legolas. Ava stood rooted to the ground, unable to move. She kept thinking of slipping from the rope and dropping down into the current below. She would probably drown, because sure as hell, Legolas would not save her.

"I…I… Cannot do that!" she freaked. Her palms got clammy and her breathing hitched a bit. She would rather fight an Orc than to venture over that thin silver cord.

Legolas regarded the woman beside him and shook his head in disbelief. He was not sure if Ava intended to say the sentence out loud, but he definitely could not imagine her fighting an Orc.

"Do you even know how to fight one?" he asked and looked her over to see if she had any weapons on her. He could only detect a long silver knife attached to her hip. Ava blushed a little as his eyes roamed over her, but then she straightened her posture in self-defence. In all reality she has never seen an Orc before, but there was no way she would reveal that to him.

"No, but still even then I would choose to fight it than crossing a raging river on a rope!"

"There is no other way. We are delayed as we speak and need to hasten" Legolas motioned for her to join him as he lightly leaped up onto the rope. He walked a short distance forward, turned around and walked back "See, there is nothing to it. Come"

"I am no elf! I do not possess that kind of balance and stability!" Ava nearly whimpered "Humans, especially me, need a much… _much_ wider, more firm crossing over a river…you know, like a bridge" she added the last part sarcastically.

"Previously you claimed to be immortal and now you say you are human. What being are you, woman?"

Legolas could not help sensing that Ava was hiding something. He already had big trust issues and could not help being suspicious of this woman. He could clearly see that she was no elf, but when he looked closer, she looked nothing like the other humans he met before. She was too…too well groomed? Not that other woman were not, but for someone that travel for weeks to be this well presented just seemed odd. She had long, shiny, dark brown hair, curling down to just below her shoulder blades. Other human hair was usually dull and frizzy. They hide it under bonnets or pin it up to conceal it. Her big blue eyes had very unusually long black lashes and her oddly smooth skin was a natural sun kissed bronze. Not the pale, covered skin that the other women had.

She wore strange attire, none of what he has seen before and she seemed not to care to reveal her figure with the tight fitting clothes. For a human she was rather attractive, but she was nothing compared to elven women in beauty.

"I am human… with a different type of immortality than the elves" Ava carefully answered. She was hoping that Legolas would just drop the subject and continue on their journey, but taking a different, safer path, of course.

Legolas regarded her in silence for a moment. Where does a human girl get immortality from? Did she use some typed of dark magic to steal the immortality from someone else?

"Gin ú-velin" Legolas mutter to himself and then said in a louder voice "Come, we must go" and started walking to the other bank again.

"Darn you, elf. I said I'm not going over that river using a rope!" annoyance filled her words and she turned in the direction she last saw Haldir walk. She furiously stomped off in that direction looking for the other elf. Brown and matted gold leaves fluttered up from the ground as she treaded through the forest's leafy floor.

Legolas could not believe that someone could be this stubborn, well apart from him of course. There was nothing to it. The cord was almost a foot wide and she seemed more than capable in crossing it!

He lightly jumped from the rope again and followed Ava. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she suddenly spun around and poked him on the chest. Her finger pressed hard against him and the anger in her eyes startle him.

"You know, it's chauvinists like you that make our women to stand up for themselves!" she seethed.

Legolas however had no idea what a chauvinists was, but he did not want to contradict her. He was not afraid of her, but rather distracted by the intensity of her spirit. She had a fire in her that most elven woman did not possess. The cool, reserved appearances they always enveloped themselves in were somewhat lacklustre and predictable. Not that this rampant way of Ava was any better, though.

Ava was rambling on about stuff Legolas had no knowledge on, but he stood rooted in the ground listening to her ranting. At some point he came to the conclusion that Ava was a very difficult person and could do much damage to the male ego. She was beautiful and could probably sway many men (not elves) to follow her if she wanted. He wondered how many men she has left heartbroken before. She was also dangerous. Something about her was not right. She was too strange and claiming to bring a message from the Grey Havens! What was she up to? Legolas felt it best to escort her to Galadriel. He convinced Ellior to leave her with him; the young elf was not experienced enough for this. Haldir was older than he was and probably more capable, but Legolas really did not want to be the one to escort that horse to the city. The thing will most defiantly make the task too difficult. But considering the fight Ava is putting up, the horse might have proven easier.

"You talk too much" Legolas interrupted Ava and watched as her mouth pressed into a thin, white line.

At first he was quickly annoyed by this girl, but now that he studied her ways, he could easily see himself enjoy taunting her instead. She was angered easily and that was quite amusing to Legolas. He could at least control his anger and displeasure, but it seemed too difficult for her to reign in her fiery spirit.

"If we take Haldir's rout, we would only reach the city by nightfall. You have no choice, but to cross the river over the chord." He stated smoothly and then added "If you do not comply, I will just have to force you" he shrugged and gave a daring, mug smirk. Yes, he could definitely get used to taunting her.

"What? Are you going to threaten to kill me if I do not cross?" Ava sneered. She was getting angrier by the moment and Legolas enjoyed every bit of it.

"No, I have other….methods" he smiled "So what's it going to be? Cooperation or by force?"

Ava observed the elf, looking for signs of bluffing. How could he force her to cross a rope? He could not push her over it, because she would definitely fall and would drag him along with her. What other ways were there?

The confidence radiating from the elf was either having complete faith in his bull-shit or he really had a way to force her over. She looked back at the river. Could she make it over? Did she have the guts to cross her greatest fear?

Ava swallowed hard and turned back towards the elf. She hated the smug expression on his face. Like he was so superior to her. Idiot.

"Fine, I will cross your stupid rope, but be warned, elf! If I fall off and drown, I swear I will come back and haunt you for the rest of your miserable life! Which is probably forever!"

Legolas' eyes flashed at her comment. He was not sure what she meant by 'his miserable life', but did not appreciate it none the less. Did she know his life was miserable? Could she see it? Did she sense his constant morbid mood? Does she know what happened? Or was that just a saying of her kind?

"Rhaich" he breathed to himself again.

Elvish translations:

Gin ú-velin – I don't like you

Rhaich - Curse

**So, Legolas is a bit temperamental, but shame I think he's got the right to be! Will reveal in later chapter why…**

**Anywhoo, I'm not sure what elvish Legolas and the Lorien wood elves speaks. Sindarin or Quenya?**

**Maybe one of you guys can help me out. The elvish used so far is Sindarin, I think?**

**Thanks! **

**Love,**

**The Poet!**


	5. Chapter 5  Acrobats and Miruvor

**Chapter 5**

**Hello, Lovelies!**

**Lady Mex: I think Legolas is hot no matter what mood! (drool) Yes, it's fun to write. You should create a profile for you. Let me know when you've done it so that I can read your first story. **

**Question: Is that actually your preferred pen-name or did you just label it as such to ask a question? Anyway, yes they are in Lorien, but I've changed the pre- LOTR story. It will become clearer it later chapters. **

**Plated Shirts and Bees: Wow, strange nick. (Smile) I think Legolas would die if you call him Legs. You will just have to wait (Evil Grin). **

**You know, I would love to have a Middle-Earth party. But it must be BIG and realistic. Get like a forest or something and decorate it elvish style. Everybody dress like LOTR character, drink wine, make lembas bread (found this cool recipe) and get like an instrumental band to play music while everybody dance….Sigh….Maybe even bribe Orlando to dress up like Legolas again. **

**Disclaimer: Is this really necessary? Would anyone that owned Tolkien's work post stories on Fanfiction? Anyway, don't know if you know, but Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in South-Africa and being a South-African myself, I've decided to go and visit the place for inspiration! Yay**

Ava moved towards the rope and carefully raised herself to balance on it. One hand was clutching at the tree, her knuckles white, while the other one was stretched out beside her. Legolas stood next to her on the ground and waited for her to start walking. He stood still like a tall statue, waiting patiently for Ava to start moving.

Ava's feet were tiny and did not cover the entire thick rope. She also noticed that the cord was as steady as a plank and did not sway as she feared. Hesitantly she took a step forward and slowly proceeded with the other, releasing the trunk. A lazy breeze was blowing down river, but it did not affect her balance as she steadily and slowly moved across the rope.

Legolas joined her after waiting patiently for a minute. Their progress was slow and he felt the urge to move her along, but thought it unwise. It could positively be perilous to distract her now. Legolas busied himself by watching her tiny steps. She was actually very steady for a human and he could not understand the fear that emanated from her. Her priorities were quite messed-up if she preferred fighting a beast than rather crossing this beautiful river.

They were about halfway over the river when the wind suddenly picked up. The rope did not sway, but Legolas could see that Ava's balance was dramatically affected. She severed a little to the right and with her outstretched arms she desperately tried to regain stability.

"Shit, Shit, Shit…" Ava cursed and felt the need to close her eyes. "Shit, command the wind to stop blowing!" Legolas heard her whimpers, but was confused at the request.

"What?" he asked baffled and moved closer to her. He was about an arm's length from her and could see the little tremors going through her body.

"You're an elf! Tell the wind to go lie down!"

The elf cocked his head to the side and then shook it slightly "I cannot control the wind, no elf can"

He would have laughed, but the pure fear in her voice and tension in her body made him think twice. It was still unusual that she thought that elves could control the weather and a half smile lifted his lips. He would have to ask her about it later. "Come, we must move on. The light is fading and night will be on us soon"

He placed his hand on her shoulder and steadied her wavering balance. "Take one step at a time" he instructed. Ava must have been terrified, because normally she would have made a snarky come-back by now.

"Shit" Ava cursed again when another gust of wind blew over them.

Legolas has never heard a woman curse like that. He was not sure if he was amused or appalled.

When the wind grew stronger, Legolas placed his other hand also on her shoulder and kept encouraging her to move forward. He was surprised at the heat radiating from her. He looked down at his hands on her and noticed how thin the fabric of her garment _really_ was. He could almost see her skin through it. Never before has he seen a woman dressed so thinly, except when she was in her night dress. The fabric under his fingers was soft and silky, nothing like humans own, unless they were royalty.

Royalty? Could she be from noble descent? He pondered this for a moment and then shook his head again.

No, that was unlikely. Humans do not send their queens or princesses out on missions. Plus, they do not curse like a ramping orc….

Ava concentrated so hard on not slipping that she barely noticed Legolas' hands on her. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined herself to walk over a wild river on a rope! Then, she also would have never dreamed of being in Middle – Earth with elves! She gave another tiny step and could hear Legolas sigh behind her. Impatient man…elf.

"Stop groaning like that!" she seethed.

"What? I did nothing" Legolas replied, stumped. He only helped her along and now she's complaining about something he did not do.

"Yes, you sigh a lot and it's working on my nerves" Ava looked down at the river's white foam and felt her stomach turn.

"Well, it is kind of frustrating to walk this slowly" Legolas removed one of his hands to scratch his head. The sudden action made Ava sway to the right again and her foot slipped from the rope. Trying to re-claim her balance, she desperately clutched on to the elf, but the fast movements and weight disadvantage made the regain in stability impossible. Like a rock, Ava dropped from the rope and plummeted into the cold, swirling rapids below. Her scream was deafening and a few birds in the nearby trees scattered away at the sound. Legolas was able to recover his footing, but soon dived down to follow the human when he noticed her being dragged down by the water. The water was cool and somewhat refreshing after the hot day, but Legolas had more urgent matters to pay attention to than how the water felt. The current was strong and Ava was already a great distance from him. Her screaming was occasionally muffled by the sound of gurgling water.

Ava was not a good swimmer and the river was repeatedly dragging her body below the surface. She tried to make for the shore, but her eyes were cloudy from the water on her lashes and made it difficult for her to see. Another freak-rapid wave submerged her, but this time it spun her so wildly that her head banged against a hard rock. The last thing Ava remembered was the sharp pain and the murky red water before she blacked out.

-Dream-

_**Ava was lazily lying on the couch busy reading a document her father scribbled about new discoveries in Middle Earth. William stepped through the portal, still wearing the clothes from Gondor.**_

"_**Hey, love! Whatcha doing?" he asked and Ava saw him tuck a parchment into his cloak.**_

"_**Just reading, what is that?" she asked curiously referring to the tucked away piece. William's whole stance was suspicious. She knew if well and could easily detect when he was lying.**_

"_**Nothing" he shrugged and made to move away.**_

"_**You know we are not allowed to bring anything back, William! What did you take?" **_

_**William dodged Ava when she advanced on him "Nothing, love. Just some notes I made there. No big deal. Listen, let me take a shower and I will let you read them. Ok?"**_

-End of dream-

The faint crackling and popping of a fire nearby was the first sound Ava heard when she regained consciousness. The face of William in her dream brought uncomfortable feelings. She opened one eye and hissed at the pain in her head. She lifted a hand to the throbbing source and noticed that her head was wrapped in a tight wet cloth.

"Here, drink this"

Ava looked up and noticed Legolas standing next to her. His long, light hair was hanging sleek down his face with no braids. His grey-green tunic was removed revealing his smooth, sculptured bare chest. Ava noticed for the first time his broad shoulders and strong arms, previously concealed under his long sleeved tunic. If he wasn't such a prat, Ava might have appreciated the sight more.

Legolas' stormy blue eyes penetrated her gaze as he bent over her with a leather flagon in his hand.

"What is it?" she asked; her voice hoarse and scratchy from all the river water she swallowed. Legolas did not answer, but pressed the container into her hand and swiftly retreated back to the fire. Ava sceptically eyed the contents within.

This elf was out to kill her.

Was it not that she felt this miserable, she would have hit the obnoxious elf over the head with a log and then tossed him into the river! Hell, she knew that nothing good could come from trying to be an acrobat on a rope! She could have drowned! Dead! So told him she could not do it!

Ava was so infuriated that she picked up a nearby pebble and flung it at the elf's back. The small rock hit his back just below the shoulder blades and then dropped to the ground.

"_Ae!_"

Ava quickly averted her gaze before Legolas could turn and face her. Despite the previous anger, Ava had to stifle a snicker at her impulsive bout. _Acting like a child now_? She mused in silence.

Legolas observed the woman behind him over his shoulder. He could clearly see that she was the source to the flying stone, but pretended otherwise. A faint blush graces her features and he could not help but appreciate the sight. It was not because he found it lovely, but rather that her face regained some colour. It's been three hours since the river incident and her face was ghostly white and devoid from any expression and colour. Legolas felt responsible for what transpired. He ensured her that nothing would happen to her and that she would not drown. Thankfully, she did not drown, but at some point Legolas feared her dead. He did not suddenly feel particular fondness or liking towards the girl, but rather that he nearly failed his duty again. And in something as simple as in escorting a human towards the palace! The last time he made a promise to protect someone did not end well and the feeling of guilt never seemed to pass.

The palace. Legolas sighed and picked up a long stick to move some orange, glowing embers at the bottom of the fire. They were about half a day's journey from the city now, which meant that they will need to move at first light tomorrow. He could easily make it back to his tallen in the dark, but he felt no need to lead a blind, stumbling, injured human through the woods. The other elves were also probably out looking for them. It was just a matter before they were found. The fire would ensure that.

"Ugh, what is this stuff?"

Legolas turned and gave Ava an unimpressed look. "It called Miruvor"

"It burns!"! Ava complained and rubbed her smooth throat. The liquid flowed like a couple of Stroh Rum shots through her body, but instead of making her drunk, it strengthened her limbs and ceased her throbbing head.

"It's supposed to burn" Legolas stated the obvious and stood up to retrieve his partially dried tunic that hung over a low branch near the side of the fire. Ava watched as he dressed and slung his bow and quiver over his shoulder.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes"

"Can I come?"

"No"

"Why not?"

Legolas gave an exasperated sigh and wiped his hand over his face in frustration. It's been awhile since he's been left in the presence of someone that talked so much. Due to his permanent sullen mood, the elves tend to leave him alone. Some elven maidens tried to gain his attention, but soon gave up when he returned no interest.

"No dhÍnen!" he snapped when he saw Ava's mouth open again.

"You know, you should really stop talking to me in your language. It's not like I can understand it" Ava said coolly.

"Pedin I phith in anÍron, a nin ú-cheniathog" Legolas declared just to irritated the girl.

Ava frowned and rolled her eyes before repeating "So why can't I come? Where are you going?"

"Have anybody told you that you talked too much?" Legolas asked

Ava placed a finger on her chin and pretended to think "They might have, but did someone ever tell you that you are a very grumpy elf?"

_Plenty of times_, Legolas thought, but kept that truth to himself. He watched as Ava stood up from her sitting position.

Ava's motions were slow, but calculated. She felt Legolas' cloak that covered her body like a blanked drop as she stood up. Her legs were a bit wobbly and she tried to give a step forward. She noticed that Legolas dropped his gaze and turned away from her. Ava frowned and looked down to her body. Her white blouse clung to her figure in a very revealing way. She could just imagine what she must have looked like when she came out of the water. White, see-through top and all…

She glanced back up at Legolas and smirked when he still averted his eye.

"What? Never saw a woman's body before?" she could not help but tease. She could clearly see some potential fun in harassing this old-fashioned elf. It's not like Ava liked revealing her body, but come-on, back on Earth, this was considered overdressed. So old fashioned…

Legolas' eyes widened for a fraction at her comment but then quickly regained his wits.

" Lasto I lalaith nÍn!" T'is not that. Humans just normally feel inferior compared to our elven bodies; therefore I pretended not to see yours. You can say thank you later. " he shrugged and purposely looked her up and down.

This was not entirely true. Yes, humans usually did feel that way, but even in elven customs it was improper for a man to see a woman almost naked when they did not court each other. He just gave that remark to irritate the girl.

Ava however did not take the bait and to Legolas' disappointment she stayed composed. Not even a flicker of annoyance reflected in her eyes. So much for that fiery spirit…

"So, where are you going?" she repeated. Honestly, was it always this hard to get information from an elf?

"If you really must know, I'm going to find a scout to deliver a message and no, you can't come."

"Oh…"

For some reason Ava expected a different answer. More like _I'm going to go hunt a dear and pluck some berries for supper…_

Food…

Ava's stomach complained about its empty state. The last thing she ate was a couple of pieces of dried fruit and biltong. What she would give to have a nice big bowl of steaming hot lasagne right now. Oooh or even better a family size pizza with all the toppings on… yum.

Oblivious to her fantasizing about food, Legolas lifted a slender finger and pointed it towards her.

"You stay here" he commanded in the voice he always used on his troops.

"Woof…" Ava muttered and the elf gave her a quizzical look.

"I do not understand that word"

"Haha, Do not blame me for your ignorance in my language" she repeated Legolas' statement of earlier that day or yesterday. What time was it? Legolas rolled his eyes, clearly not liking the revers phycology.

"Well, technically it's not really _my_ language, but rather that of a dog's…"Ava mused as an after though. Is it even a language? Do dog actually speak or just bark random noises?

If the elf's face looked baffled the first time, it was nothing compared to as how it looked now. His face was drawn blank, except for the little frown between his eyes.

"What?"

"You know… a dog…" Ava stretched out the last word like she was talking to a dumb person.

"Yes, yes I know what a dog is." Legolas snapped "I was rather referring to about you speaking its tongue. It's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible" Ava laughed. She thought it impossible to travel to Middle-Earth and now look where she was! So, it was imaginable that one could try and understand animals….

It looks like Orion understood her.

"Orion!" Ava gasped. The horse must be going ballistic when she never returned to tend to him.

Poor beast! She could just imagine the havoc he will cause the elves when they try and calm him. Though Haldir seemed more that capable in handling him…

Hmmm, Haldir was a nice fellow. A bit quiet, but still very nice. Ava could imagine her being friends with him. Then there was also Vadinar, a bit smooth, but also pleasant. Both of them were nothing like the obnoxious Legolas.

Thinking about him, Ava noticed that the elf slipped away while she was thinking about everything. She took the time to take in her surroundings.

The forest was black except for the faint light the fire gave, highlighting the nearer features around it in a soft glow. Dark shadows danced in the flickering light making the forest seem quieter than it already was. The black shapes sometimes looked like faces or beasts and Ava did not particularly like that idea. The ground around them was smooth and dark with no forest debris. It was like someone swept the ground around them. There was only a couple of rocks and stones in the clearing and a large tree stump near the fire. In the distance Ava could hear the faint trickling of water flowing over pebbles.

_I'm kind of thirsty, _Ava thought and her eyes wandered to the flask of Miruvor on the ground.

_I wonder if there is any alcohol in the drink_? Ava shrugged to herself and picked up the bottle and took another burning swig. Two drinks later the liquid did not burn anymore and was actually quite pleasant. It had a sweet honey taste too it. Quite pleasant indeed….

Ava's stomach rumbled again. _Darn, I need to get some food!_

**Elvish Translation:**

"Ae!" – Startled exclamation

"No dhÍnen" – Be Silent

"Lasto I lalaith nÍn" – Hear me laugh!

"Pedin I phith in anÍron, a nin ú-cheniathog" - I can say what I wish, but you still won't understand me. (it's like saying she is stupid)

**Biltong is a type of dried meat you get in South-Africa. (Cow, Sheep, Kudu etc.) I think it is almost like beef jerky? Not sure, because I have never eaten beef-jerky, but I think it's the same concept. **

**Thanks you so much for reading. I just love it went my BBM goes off saying I have a review or that my story is being followed. **

**This is going to be a long story and I know that my starting chapters are taking their time, but they will start picking up soon…or I hope they will.**

**It will still be a while before they join the Fellowship. Legolas first needs to short out some personal issues….**

**If you like…..please review!**

**Love,**

**The Poet.**


	6. Lorien City

**Chapter 6**

**Mizore Takeda – And your cards show…Another chapter! (Just for you!) **

**Cretha Loesing: Thanks so much for your review. This is actually my first attempt and it feels great to have such positive feedback. I hope that my story continues as to your liking! Sorry, but this chapter does not have sarcasm in it. That is more of an Ava-Legolas thing. The other elves actually behave in Ava's presence…**

**Green Magic Pixie: Like (thumbs-up)**

**Disclaimer: I own a bottle of rum, a compass and a sword. (Yes, I actually do own a sword) but still nothing from LOTR.**

Ava was slowly stumbling through the wood in search for some berries or fruit to eat.

_Whoa… what is in this stuff? _She thought and looked down at the flask of Miruvor in her hand. A high hick-up escaped from her lips and Ava giggled. _Since when do I giggle? I hate it when girls giggle. _She scolded herself. She shook her head and stumbled in the process.

"McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fry chicken and a Pizza hut…"

_Shit, I'm sooo hungry._

Ava gave another stagger when her foot caught on a root.

_Oh, this is useless. I'm just going to die of hunger here in this forest. _

_No! _she mentally shrieked _I cannot die. The world depends on me!_

And with that gloomy thought, Ava flopped down on the ground and placed her chin in her hand.

_I am so screwed….no Earth is so screwed. When I get hold of William he will wish he'd never been born! How am I supposed to find one human in the whole of Middle-Earth?_

"_Hick"_

_And I will kill Legolas as well…for...for not getting me food! _

"_Hick_"

Ava sighed and picked up a rock and flung it into the darkness. _Wow, I'm doing a lot of rock-throwing in one day…_

A soft rustling sound to her left caught her attention. Leaves and twigs snapping. _In horror movies it is always leaves and twigs snapping_, Ava rolled her eyes. Pressing her back against one of the trees, she fumbled to unsheathe her knife from its place on her hip. She was relieved to know that it did not get lost when she took that dive into the blasted river. The long knife glinted silver as some of the moon's rays filter through the leaves above. Ava strained her hears to hear for any other noises, but her head swam of all the Miruvor.

Was Lorien a safe place to wander? _Don't really think orcs could get this far into the wood, but there still was other predatory animals lurking in the shadows_; she thought. _Ugh, I'm screwed anyways…might as well get a good fight in. Not that I can actually fight…sigh_

She drunkenly got up and braced herself for whatever was to come. She was just about to cry out when a gentle voice called from the dark space between the trees in front of her.

"No need for any weapons, Lady Ava"

Ava lowered her blade and watched as Vadinar stepped into a patch of light, palms raised forward in an unthreatening way. Another dark haired elf followed close by and Ava recognised him as one of the faces she saw earlier that day. One of the un-named faces.

"Oh, good! I was horribly lost!" she slurred. _Dammit, I am not drunk_!

"Word was sent out that you never reached our Lady. When Haldir returned with only your horse and there was no sign of you or Legolas, Lord Celebron summoned a search party. After recounting earlier today's argument between the Mirkwood elf and you, we feared that you might have killed each other along the way" Ava smiled at the light jest remarked at the end. "Luckily with all that noise you made, we were able to find you quite effortlessly" Vadinar smiled and glanced down at the flagon. His grin grew. _Humans…_

Vadinar gave a short pause while taking another step closer "But my heart is glad to see you safe and – "

He was about to say unharmed, but the deep cut on Ava's forehead was suddenly visible in the moonlight. A long mark from her hair-line to the tip of her right eyebrow was visible on her forehead.

Ava saw the direction of his gaze and gave a slight shrug "It's nothing serious. I've had worse injuries than this one"

"What happened, why are you sloshed and where might my friend, Legolas, be?" He asked and a frown creased his beautiful face.

"I do not know where Legolas is. He left about an hour ago and I have not seen him since. I got hungry and went to look for something to eat" Ava explained she gave a light stumble to her right and Vadinar steadied her before she could do more harm to herself.

Vadinar scowled at how careless Legolas was to leave a woman alone on the wood.

"And how did you manage to be injured like that?" Vadinar asked again and bent closer to examine the cut. He could already see that someone has cleaned and tended to it. Probably Legolas.

Ava felt his cool breath on her face and blinked at the closeness of the elf.

"I fell into the river and then woke up a couple of hours later in a makeshift camp Legolas set up."

"Yes, we saw the fire and Legolas' cloak on the ground, but there was no sign of either of you. We split up into groups of two and went into different directions in search of you"

Vadinar slightly turned his head back and gave a small nod.

The other elf that lingered in the back gave a low owlish call and Ava diverted her gaze to him.

"Landir is just signalling the other group that we have found you. We should be on our way. I have a horse close by and if we leave now we can reach the palace just before daybreak. " Vadinar explained when he saw Ava's distraction.

"What about Legolas?"

"I'm going to ask Landir to stay at your _camp_ and await his arrival. Come, let us depart"

Ava followed Vadinar through the thicket of the wood. He placed a slender hand at the base of her elbow and steadied her when she occasionally stumbled in the dark. She could hear the low murmur of the elven voices next to her and was wondering what they were saying. Her stomach gave another low rumble and she rolled her eyes at the sound. Will she ever get food into her empty stomach again?

"So why were you drinking so much of the Miruvor?"

Ava blushed and looked down at her feet "I only had like four sips, I think?"

"Ah, yes. You humans can't quite stomach the elven mead" he laughed at Ava's mortified expression. "At least it made you forget the pain of your wound"

Absentmindedly Ava fingered the cut on her head. She never really thought of the pain until now. There was only a low throbbing pulse to indicate that something was wrong. Oh, this is going to hurt like hell in the morning….

"So you don't get drunk from this stuff?"

"Elves hardly ever get drunk…we will need to consume a lot of drink to even start feeling slightly affected, well except for our red wine, of course. That could make any elf merry…"

"Oh…" _even a sour face Legolas?_ Ava could not help but thought.

As they approached Vadinar's horse Landir set of at a quick silent pace back to the camp. His footsteps made no sound as he sprinted across the forest floor.

Vadinar help Ava onto the white steed. Having no saddle or straps plus being a bit intoxicated she was struggling to get onto its back. Vadinar gave a low chuckle when Ava clutched with all fours at the horse's back before setting herself into a sitting position. The top button of her blouse came loose, giving Vadinar an appreciated view at the top curves of her breasts. He was nothing but charmed when it came to a woman's body. Elf or not. He lightly jumped on the horse as well and positioned himself in front of Ava.

"Hold on to me" he instructed. Ava shyly grasped the sides of his body and bunched his cloak in her hands. She was extremely close to him and she could feel the heat radiating from beneath his cloak.

"No" Vadinar took her hands in his and pried them loose. He then folded them across his waist so that her arms encircled him. Ava could feel the soft material from his tunic and briefly wondered how proper this was in elven custom? Vadinar made no indication of noticing her inappropriate clothing like Legolas did. Maybe Vadinar was not as old fashioned as Legolas was.

"If it is more comfortable for you, feel free to lay your head on my back. This is roughly going to be a three hour ride and I believe you might be a bit weary from this long day"

At the mention of this, Ava suddenly realised that she was indeed very tired. She thanked Vadinar and pressed the uninjured side of her face against his back. She closed her eyes and relished in the feeling of the cool night air flowing over her face as the horse sped off into the darkness.

The wind sang in her ears and the smell of the elf and the wood quickly drowned her senses and lulled her to sleep.

When Legolas returned to camp, he saw Landir sitting on the tree log idly flipping a small white stone in his hand. It was the little pebble that Ava threw at him earlier. He knew it to be that one, because it was the only white stone in the clearing.

Ava was missing and he frowned slightly at this. Where did that woman run off to now?

"Na man awn?Ava?" his voice sounded weary.

"Vadinar, Prince "

Legolas scowled at the title and shot Landir a disproving glare. Instead of voicing his thoughts he just nodded once and went to pick up his cloak. Ava carelessly left it there in a heap on the ground and with one hand he lightly brushed some of the dirt from it. _Cleary a woman without manners_, he silently thought. A sparkle on the ground distracted him from his cleaning process and he bent down to retrieve the object. It was Ava's ring. It was a simple silver band, twisted into what looked like braided silver at the sides. It the middle was a strange round black stone. Legolas frowned at the jewel. He could have sworn that he noticed a similar ring with a yellow stone on Ava's hand earlier. Maybe this is a different one? He pocketed the band and turned to Landir.

"Are we needed at one of the stations or are we heading back?" Legolas asked in the common language. He remembered now that Landir wanted to learn it fluently and would rather have elves convers with him in it more regularly.

"The message was for you to return to the palace. I will be resuming my post" with that Landir cast the little stone at Legolas' direction and turned to leave. Legolas absentmindedly caught the pebble and pocketed it along with the ring.

He doused the fire and cleared all traces of them from the camp. Call it paranoid or elven tradition, but they preferred not to leave their mark for onlookers to discover. It was especially a habit he learned with being a prince. "Cover your traces everywhere you go" his bodyguard and trainer used to say when he was still little elfling. Legolas sometimes missed his old life and he wish he could return, but to face his father after what he's done…

It would take another couple of thousand years before he could forgive him for it.

Legolas blinked to focus his eyes. It's been two weeks since he last slept and he was becoming weary. He's been so busy patrolling with the sentries that he hardly ever slept. His hand patted down to where his flask usually was, but it came in contact with nothing.

He made a disapproving face at the discovery and realisation.

Ava.

Ava sluggishly woke with something tickling her nose. She gave a small groan and shifted her face, but the tickling just got worse. She just wanted to sleep a little more. She slowly opened her eyes and was met with strands of pale blond hair covering her face. With a start she jerked back and loosened her hands from the stiff position it was in. She was sitting on a horse, snuggling against a man's back…no wait…an elf's back. Slowly the memories started filtering back. The encounter with the elves, the fall down the river, the cut on her head, Vadinar, Haldir and Legolas…. She made a face at the last name. Her head gave a strange pound…_oh and the Miruvor_.

"You are awake" came the velvety voice from Vadinar. Ava stifled a small yawn and rubbed her eyes with one hand. Pale light was filtering through the trees, casting the woods into a soft glow. The dull throbbing seemed to increase with every second she was awake. She groaned and lifted a hand to her head.

"Yes, for how long was I asleep?" she rolled her neck from side to side to loosen the stiff kinks. She only then noticed that they were standing still.

"You've slept the entire journey. We just arrived at the gates" and as if to amplify his statement Ava heard the welcoming voice of Haldir spoke.

"Welcome, Lady Ava to the City of Lorien!"

She craned her neck past the shoulders of Vadinar and was amazed by what she saw. Golden leafed trees as big as skyscrapers loomed up into the sky. The soft glow from the morning sun glittered on the leaves, sparkling like tiny diamonds from a King's crown. Tallens covered the tree tops with intricate bridges connected from tree to tree. The grounds were covered with tiny white, blue and yellow flowers accentuated by soft green grass. Elves wandered through the untamed garden on cobble stone paths. A large stone fountain stood in the middle of the clearing. A big statue of a fair elven maid with a golden ball cradled in her hand was in the centre of the fountain. In the distance Ava saw paths that led deeper into the tree city.

"It's beautiful" Ava breathed and felt the tremors of Vadinar's chuckle go through his body.

"Yes, Lady Ava, but you should have seen this place when it was still in all its glory. A sight that would never leave the memories of your mind! Lorien the fair!"

"I can hardly think there could be anything more beautiful than Lorien." Ava said, still in awe. She did not even notice that Haldir came and stood next to her. The little gold flower still in his button hole.

"Beauty can only be compared to the holder's own view and not be equated by the opinion of someone else. Therefore I agree in Lorien's splendour, but I have seen beauty as equally, if not more, striking"

Ava glanced down and watched Haldir as he gave her his hand. The way he was watching her, made her blush and she shyly placed her hand in his. Haldir helped Ava from the horse and walked them round to face Vadinar.

"Farewell, Lady Ava. I am needed at the Easter Border. Haldir will escort you to Lady Galadriel."

"Thank you, Vadinar." Ava gave a small smile. It was quite tiring to be passed on from one elf to other so often. From Elior, to Legolas, Legolas to Haldir, Haldir back to Legolas, then Vadinar and back to Haldir. All in such a short time. A flicker of a thought flipped through her and she briefly wondered where Legolas was. She gave an internal shrug and gave Vadinar her full attention again.

"I will return in a fortnight and then I will tell you all about fair Lorien, spare that there is still something left to converse after Haldir got hold of you!" Vadinar offered.

Haldir gave a musical laughter and Ava could not help but smile at the sound. His face lit up handsomely and Ava stared shamelessly.

"My dear friend! Your vocabulary is much too inadequate to explain half of our woods splendour! Do you honestly think I will let her be punished by your unintelligent burbling?

"Ha! You may have the talent of words and flattery, but my skill in other… more worthy departments, have proven enough to gain victory where it matters! As you already know…."

He gave a knowing smirk and Haldir narrowed his eyes, but the smile never faded.

Ava had a strange feeling that this type of friendly bickering between the two elves was normal behaviour.

"Well, fortunate am I to have the pleasure of having time with Lady Ava for two weeks without you pestering her with your presence" Haldir gave a small wave with his long hand as if to shoo Vadinar away.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ava and I would love to converse a bit more on this matter, but duty calls! Please don't be too bored with Haldir's lack of excitement"

He turned his stead and before he galloped away he gave Haldir a meaningful grin.

"Ta gwithár, mellon!"

**Elvish Translation:**

Na man awn – Where did she go?

Ta gwithár, mellon – The game is on, my friend!

**Yeah, so smooth Vadinar to the rescue!**

**And drunk Ava? Damn, only one night in Lorien and already drunk! Talk about improper! Such a rude girl! **

**Anyway, thanks so much for reading! You are awesome! And if I had a magic wand I would let you all get your dream dates.**

**Mmmm… who would you wish to have one date with? A secret crush? Your teacher? Maybe your boss or a friend? A celebrity? Or a fictional character? Let me know! (Sorry, but Legolas is off limits ...he is all mine) **

**If you like, please review. It is nice to know somebody is reading my work and appreciate it.**

**Take care!**

**Love,**

**The Poet!**


	7. Galadriel

**Chapter 7**

**Happy Valentine's Day yesterday!**

**Yes, just because I feel much loved today and yesterday, I thought I'll share it with you as well.**

**Legolas surprised me with a box of heart-shaped chocolates! Aawww**

**Purple Pepper – I don't think I know how he looks in the game, but I will Google him. Thanks for the review. **

Disclaimer: I own nothing of LOTR

Ava walked behind Haldir as he escorted her through the big wooden doors of the palace. Once inside, Ava was mesmerised by the architecture and detailed carvings of the building. The ceiling rose high with big grey pillars supporting it. Golden, gossamer groves were carved into the pillars and soft glowing lanterns hung from each of them. Big windows looked out into the morning garden and Ava could see some of the tree tallens nearby. The floor was smooth and polished and detailed pictures were painted on them. Ava wanted to look at them, but Haldir moved them onwards. In the distance Ava could hear soft elven-voices sing and the melody was heart-moving. Melancholic was a good way to describe it. Ava gave a wishful sighed.

_Who could have ever thought that a beautiful place like this could exist? _

A line of elves stood on either side of the hall and further ahead Ava saw two Elves clothed in pearl, whites sitting on golden thrones. The male elf looked young and old at once. Ava knew not how that was possible, but it was a strange sight. She knew elves lived for ever, but how old could this elf be? How old _do_ elves even get? His long pale strands reach below his shoulder blades, tied into intricate knots and braids at the sides. He wore a golden circlet on his brow and his face was accentuated with high cheekbones and a roundish chin. His eyes were silver and warm. Next to him sat Galadriel. Ava knew that it could only be her. She was even more beautiful than Lorien itself. Her long curls matched the colour of the wood's leaves and her pale, soft skin looked like cream. Her eyes! Her eyes were a blue Ava had never seen before. It seemed to shift continually into different shades of blue every time she looked.

"Lord Celeborn and fair Lady Galadriel" Haldir rang out. His voice was laced with admiration for his rulers. "I present to you; Lady Ava Fairlin" he waved his hand out to her, palm up and fingers pressed tight. Ava did not know what to do, must she bow? Curtsey? Just stand there? Speak?

_Relax, Child_

Ava blinked shocked at the voice in her head. Where did that come from? Her head was still sore from the mead, but did it also result into hearing voices now?

Haldir bowed his head and retreated to the side of the Hall; leaving Ava alone to stand it the middle.

"Welcome, Lady Ava, to our Wood" Lord Celeborn spoke "Word reached us that you have travelled from faraway and in haste in search of my mate, Galadriel. They say you bring a message from – "

He paused, Ava was not sure if it was for a dramatic effect or just uncertainty.

" - From the Grey Havens" he finished.

There were a few gasps from the line of elves. A soft murmur filled the hall and once again Ava was wondering what the big deal was with these elves and the Grey Havens.

"Yes" Ava cleared her throat and repeated "Yes, it is more of a… request than a message"

She looked up warily at the elf lord, but his warm eyes had a stiff glint in them. Ava swallowed hard.

"Why would our kindred who passed on through the Halls of Mandos request anything from us and then send a _human_ girl to deliver the message?" he asked, his tone polite, but unfriendly.

Ava looked with a blank expression at the elf lord in front of her.

_Wait, what? Halls of Mandos? What was that? Passed kindred? Did that mean the Grey Havens was like a Heaven for the elves? _Ava thought nervously. _That's why the people of Gondor never reacted to the place's name. They did not know what it was?_

The penetrating gaze from the elves made her feel uncomfortable and her face became hot. _Crap, what must I tell them?_ She shifted from one foot to another.

"She is not from the Havens" a clear musical voice spoke. Ava looked up to see Galadriel looking at her, but when their eyes met a sudden presence seem to enter her mind. It was not a threatening or possessed feeling, but it was not a pleasant one either.

Ava felt Galadriel accessing her memories. It was like a box of photos being dragged forward. Galadriel would flick though the photos and when one intrigued her, she would pause at it and the photo memory would jump to life. Ava was forced to watch some of the good memories with her father, her friends, her childhood life, school, college, the work she did with her father in Gondor. She also watched as Galadriel focused on memories of her world. Simple things like a telephone, fridge, cars, buildings, TVs, types of food, plumbing and more dramatic ones like guns, pollution, animal cruelty, hunger, poverty …etc. None of which the latter really involved her. More like stories she read in newspapers or saw on the television.

Then there came the personal unpleasant memories. Her relationship with William. The night she found her father dead in front of the portal, the note she found in his pocket, the betrayal of William, his quest in search of an evil weapon he wanted to return to earth. Galadriel seemed to linger for a moment on the face of her father the last day Ava saw him alive. The memory froze like a photo again and Ava stared at her father's face what seemed like an eternity.

Suddenly the presence released her mind and Ava felt cold and alone. She opened her eyes, not realising she closed it in the first place and looked up at Galadriel. Ava could feel her cheeks and eyes were wet with spilled tears and she lifted a hand to wipe at them, suddenly angry with herself for showing such weakness in front of these superior beings. Her heart felt squeezed and painful.

"No, she is not from the Grey Havens" Galadriel repeated again.

The murmur increased and Ava could hear some distinctive words like; liar, spy, deceiver, enemy…

She looked to her side and saw Haldir look at her. His face was like stone. No emotion reflected in it. Just a passive, expressionless face.

Galadriel raised her hands and the place quieted down. The images she saw in the girl's mind were unsettling. Galadriel has live for thousands of years. She has seen things many have never seen before. Experienced things others have never even heard of, but this! This was unfamiliar.

How long has it been since she encountered something new to her?

She knew the girl told a lie about coming from the Havens, but she could sense her heart was pure. Galadriel could understand why she sought an alternative explanation as to where she could be from. She was placing her life in danger to save her world, Earth, from harm. Such a brave thing to do for someone so young. She knew nothing of this world, not even what she was up against. An overwhelming feeling came over Galadriel to help this woman, this Ava Fairlin from Earth.

"Ava Fairlin, a request you bring and though you are not even aware of the gravity you are dealing with, I will hear your wish and assist where I can"

"How can we trust her if she deceived us?" an elf from the lines spoke up. He wore purple robes hemmed with gold. To Ava he looked like some kind of advisor.

A number of supportive voices rose in the air. They approved of the elf's words.

Some talked animatedly between each other; others just stood and watched her with sceptical eyes. Ava wished she could just melt into the floor.

"She has not deceived us" Galadriel addressed the whole hall, not only the one elf that asked the question.

"She could not…_and will not_…reveal where she is from, but that does not make her request less urgent or worrisome"

She sent her gaze over the gathering of elves before setting them on Ava again.

"Lady Ava, I know the nature of what you ask for and will provide answers in due time, but first tell me; does anyone else know about this message?"

"No, Lady Galadriel" Ava answered truthfully.

"Good, do not under any circumstance reveal anything to anyone. I will come to you when the time is right." With those parting words she nodded at Haldir.

A silent message seemed to transpire between them and Haldir's stone face melted into the friendly one Ava was familiar with. He bowed his head in respect towards his lord and lady and stepped closer to Ava again.

"Come, I will escort you to your tallen. You must be weary"

Ava felt the urge to make a curtsey and before she could completely think the idea through, she placed her one foot behind the other and bent her knees slightly. A few snickers could be heard from the elves and a tiny smile grace Galadriel's lips.

Ava blushed again. _What is it with me and these stupid curtsies_?

Outside the sun was shining and the rays filtered through the trees.

_This is going to be a hot day again; _Ava thought and glanced out of habit down towards her hand where to stone, no doubt would be glinting a yellowish-green.

"NO!" she shrieked when she realised that her ring was missing.

A startled Haldir next to her grabbed her hand she was looking at with concern "What is the matter? Are you hurt?" he examined the hand with careful eyes in search of her distress.

Ava shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. _My ring! The only thing I have left from my father! Gone! It must have fallen off in the river! How come I have not notice it before_?

"Lady Ava" Haldir pleaded with her when there came no response. Both his hands clasped over hers now and he turned her to face him.

"It's nothing, Haldir. I…I just realised that the ring my father gave me is missing" she shrugged "it's the only thing I have left of him"

Haldir, lost for words, gave a comforting squeeze of his hands on hers and a sad smile graced his lips.

"At least you still have your memories of him. Be assured that you could always treasure that with you. It is one of the greatest gifts. "

Ava smiled weakly and nodded.

"Come"

Legolas watched as Ava descended the grey stairs of the palace. Her head hung low, probably indicating that she received ill news. Her feet dragged in a very un-lady like way over the cobble stones. Haldir was walking beside her and his lips were moving, possibly offering her some comforting words. Draped across her shoulder was the flask attached to the leather string.

_His_ flask!

With brisk, quick moves Legolas moved closer to them. Haldir noticed his approach and halted. Ava followed his example, but still did not notice the other elf.

"I believe you have something of mine" Legolas said and stretched out his pale palm towards her when he reached them.

Ava just gave him a blank look like it was the first time she saw him.

"What?"

"My flask…."

"Oh…" Ava reached for the leather string and removed it from her shoulder. She handed the flask to Legolas and moved to walk on. She really did not want to be in the presence of this rude elf…

She was a couple of feet away from him when he suddenly called out.

"Wait!"

Ava turned and lifted an eyebrow at his call. _What now_?

"If you are going to complain about the empty state of your flask is in… it is your own fault!"

"No I was just…_what_? It's empty?" Legolas asked shocked. He brought the leather flagon to his ear and shook it a little. _Empty…_

"Rhaich"

Haldir lifted a brow at Legolas' curse. Even though Ava did not understand Sinadrin, it was still impolite of Legolas to say it in front of a lady.

"That's the second time I've heard you say that…" Ava observed. "What does it mean?"

She was curious, as always. It was a family curse…

"It's nothing, Lady Ava. Come let us go…" Haldir tried to steer her away. He placed his slender hand on her arm and tried to get her moving, but Ava did not budge.

"Oh, I get it! It's a swear word, right? Like _shit_ or _fu-_"

"You really have a foul mouth for a lady" Legolas cut in distastefully. His nose was slightly wrinkled up like he smelled something horrid. She shrugged and then an idea came to mind.

Ava gave a sly smile "_Rhaich_"

Even though the pronunciation was terrible, Ava could feel it had the same effect as an English swear-word. Satisfying…

Haldir on the other-hand clasped his hand to his head and sighed dramatically "Why, with all the fair words we have in our language, you decide to teach her a vulgar one first, Legolas?

"I did not teach her anything!" the blond elf objected "Some creatures just seemed to take a particular liking into profaner things…"

"What? So, then I should be _all_ over you, Legolas? Considering I like foul things!"

Haldir made a choking sound and covered his mouth with his hand to hide a grin. Has anyone ever stood up to the prince like that?

"I am not _foul _and certainly not a_ thing_!" he scoffed "I'm an elf!"

A couple of elves nearby looked at the commotion happening between the woman and the prince. Some even shook their heads disapproving of Ava's behaviour.

"Whatever" she dismissed "Look, I'm tired and hungry. I've lost something dear to me and I feel like crap. So if you will please excuse me"

Ava turned to walk away and Legolas could see that she really _did_ look sad. He then remembered why he called her back in the first place.

"I have your ring" he announced.

"Really?"

"Yes"

Ava gave a cry of joy and leaped at the elf! Her arms flung across his neck and she squeezed him tightly against herself. Legolas was so startled that he did not even try to pry himself loose from her.

Her sent washed over him. Vanilla.

The smell took him of guard as well and he was unwantedly reminded of his home. The trees and vanilla flowers he loved. His friends, mother and sister. The archery range where he used to practise his skill. The fair maidens and the feasts….all the good and happy things.

The contact was just as quickly removed as it came and a flushed Ava stood before him. Her blue eyes sparkled and a smile graced her lips.

"Can I have it?"

Legolas shook the déjà vu of his home from his thoughts and blinked confusedly at her "What?" he asked stupidly.

"My ring"

_Oh_

Legolas reached inside his pocket and withdrew the silver ring. He opened his hand palm facing up with the ring resting in the middle. Before Ava snatched the ring away, Legolas' eye caught the colour of the stone.

Green!

_What? That stone was positively black when I picked it up_, he thought baffled.

He watched as Ava slipped the ring on her finger. The stone still glinting a light green.

"Thank you so much, Legolas" Ava thanked in earnest, completely forgetting their previous argument "You have no idea how much this ring means to me!"

Legolas said nothing and just stared at the ring. Was it a magical ring? Did Ava have some magical powers? His doubts of this woman suddenly increased again. Something about Ava was suspicious.

Haldir seemed to notice the sudden change in Legolas' face though he knew not why. For a moment there he saw the old Legolas, his friend, the easy and happy prince of Mirkwood. But once again his jaw was clenched and his eyes hard. Haldir placed a hand on Ava's shoulder.

"Come, you are in need of rest. I will show you to your tallen" Haldir steered Ava away before the prince could lash out again at their guest. "I have asked one of the servants to place your effects that were strapped to your horse in your room. I must say, you do not travel light!"

"Orion! I must see him!" Ava gasped not commenting on the last part of the Haldir's words.

"I assure you that he is perfectly taken care of –"

"No, I need to see him, please Haldir" Ava begged. She loved that horse!

Haldir sighed "Alright, Lady Ava"

They walked in silence to the stables, Ava looking at the lovely surroundings. She was feeling sort of giddy after being reunited with her ring. The city was so different to how the human race lived. Here the elves used nature to build their homes. The way their city was build was complimenting nature's features, not destroying it like the humans did. Humans want to concur; it did not matter if it was over nature, animals, other races, or themselves. A fleeting image of William shot through her mind and Ava felt a flood of anger and heartache coarse through her. _He is such a prick. A horrible, lying, deceitful bastard!_ Ava thought. She unconsciously clenched her fists at her side and grinded her teeth.

"Lady Ava"

"Huh?" Ava snapped out of her hatred filled thoughts and noticed that they were at the stables.

"I said that your steed is at the last stall on your right. I will wait for you here" Haldir gestured with his hand to the stable doors.

Ava stepped inside and greeted her horse.

**Elvish Translation:**

_Rhaich-Curse_

So there we go. Another chapter done. I think I'm quite a fast updater, hey?

Please let me know what you think of the story!

Love ,

The Poet


	8. Honey

**Greetings!**

**Here is the next chapter. I think it will be about another 5 chapters before Ava goes to Rivendell, so please be patient. **

**Tiranniel – Thank you so much for the review. Hope you enjoy this chappie as well.**

**Watergoddesskasey – Thanks for both of your reviews. Much appreciated!**

**High Guardian – OMW, haha so cool om nog `n Suid Afrikaner op FF te kry. Jy is die heel eerste een! Dankie vir die review! Die Oranje Rivier = True story!**

Ava was sitting one the soft elven bed in her tallen. It was quite a lovely little room. It was a bit high up in the tree for Ava's liking, but the wooden steps that spiralled up to it were sturdy and safe enough. It was a long day and after Haldir escorted her to the steps of her room, Ava was met by a handmaiden that led her to a place where she could bathe. After being out in the wild for so long without a proper bath, Ava ensured in scraping her skin red to remove the stench and dirt. She also washed her hair twice and combed it through several times to remove the stubborn tangles. After all the cleaning and scrubbing and grooming were done, she dressed into clothes the elves gave her. It was a beautiful blue dress with silver trimmings, it was a bit too long, but Ava bunched it up in her hands on her way back to the tallen. When she arrived there was a platter of food on the table near the bed. Cheese, Bread, Fruits and cold meat. It was divine!

After eating Ava eyed the three bags in the corner of her room, one large duffle bag, a medium sized back pack and a satchel. There was also a bedroll and a cooking pot. She smiled, _Haldir was right, I don't travel light._

She glanced over to the end of the bed where she sat and picked up the night dress the elves gave her. It was long, frilly, and a light pink. _Sigh_

Ava stood up and walked over to the duffel bag. She threw the night dress over a nearby chair and retrieved her pyjama shorts and top from the bag. Elven dresses were pretty, but Ava could not imagine sleeping in such a long dress in this heat.

She quickly slipped into her nightwear and slid in between the sheets of the bed. A contempt sigh escaped her lips when she lay her head down on the pillow. _Soft, clean, comfy…bliss_, were her last words as she drifted off to sleep.

Legolas marched through the palace kitchen in search of Miruvor to fill his flask. He did not wish to sleep this night and needed the mead to keep him awake. He would not have needed it, but two weeks is a bit of a stretch, even for an elf.

He wondered how humans could get drunk on a drink that only seemed to revitalised elves. He heard about Ava's little trip with the mead by one of the elves in Vadinar's command. News travels fast. Besides, he could have come to that conclusion on his own after he received an empty flask back.

Legolas opened one of the wooden barrels that was placed in the back of the room, but was only met with a reddish wine. He closed the lid and proceeded with another two barrels only to find the same contents within. Wine…

Legolas smirked to himself, _how drunk would Ava get if she drank elvish wine_? _If even elves could get intoxicated by this drink a human would not even last after one glass…_

Legolas walked to the opposite side of the room and continued his search through the barrels. He slammed the last lid down and then proceeded to the kitchen's scullery. He started rummaging through all the bottles, containers, barrels, flasks, jugs, tubs and jars, but came up empty handed.

Frustrated he sat down at one of the wooden chairs and placed his elbows on the table counter with his chin in his hands.

_Too much emotions and memories for one day_, he though miserably. He did not wish to be reminded of his home and his old life.

A honey cake on the table caught his eye and first glancing over his shoulder, Legolas quickly stole a piece. He was almost sure this cake was meant for one of the sentries as a birthday gift, but at this moment the depressed elf did not care.

The cake was sweet and sticky. It was delicious and Legolas felt his mood slightly improve, but only for a fraction of a time. _There was just one thing that will help clear his thoughts now, _he decided.

Greedily cutting another larger piece from the cake, Legolas left the kitchen.

As the sun steadily rose from its depth, welcoming Middle -Earth with a new day, Ava slowly gained consciousness from her deep slumber. The white elven sheets were tangled around her body in a very uncomfortably way and the strangled feeling was quickly becoming unbearable. She sighed loudly and reluctantly heaved herself from the bed to unravel her from the tight position of the suffocating sheets. After successfully removing the entrapment, Ava flopped back into the bed and hugged one of the big puffy pillows. A satisfied smile lingered on her face as she thought of continuing her blissful dream.

She can't remember the last time she had slept this peacefully. She was just about to drift back to sleep when a knock on her door disturbed her. _Go away_, she thought angrily, but the nock only came again, a bit louder this time. For a moment she deliberated if she could just ignore it, but after the impatient, annoying person behind the door rapped it again, she knew she would not be able to sleep again.

She stood from the bed and stumbled to the door, opening it with a frustrated sigh.

Haldir stood waiting with a pleasant smile on his face, but when he saw in what Ava was dressed he hastily turned his back to her. His face red at seeing her legs all the way up to her thighs! Tanned, smooth legs! He could not believe she would answer the door so scantily clad.

"Oh, come on. Are you also pretending to _not_ notice how inferior my body is compared to yours?" Ava asked when she realised what was happening.

"What? Why would you say something like that?" Haldir asked stunned, but still did not turn to face her.

"When Legolas saw me similar to this he said that…he said…oh, never mind it's not important. Let me dress in something else. Wait here" Ava closed the door and hurried to her duffel bag. _Stupid old fashioned elves…_

In the meantime Haldir's thought outside was rushing with confusion. _What did Legolas say? When did he see her in so little clothing? Was he attracted to Ava? Was I attracted to Ava?_ _Maybe a little, she was beautiful, but nothing serious. Besides, Vadinar has proposed a silent bet…again…. _

Haldir heard the door behind him open and an outlandishly clad Ava emerged. She was wearing strange, very tight fitting, dark blue breaches and a bright green, short-sleeved top with "Levis" written in black letters in the common language. She was wearing sandals and her toenails were painted red!

"What?" Ava asked when Haldir eyed her quizzically. She wanted to wear shorts, but then on behalf of the elves she settled for jeans.

"You have odd attire" Haldir finally managed to say and then asked "What does 'Levi' mean?"

"I think it was someone's name; the guy who invented jeans"

"Jeans?" It sounded strange coming from an elf's mouth.

Haldir watched as Ava pointed to her breaches. _Odd…_

"Why would you wear an inventors name on your clothing? Do you work for him?"

Ava burst out laughing and Haldir's mouth lifted at the one corner at her mirth, though he knew not why.

"You know, I have no idea why we wear name-brands" she said and then added before he could ask what name-brands were "So, why did you wake me?"

Haldir's half smirk turned into a full blown grin now. His face looked…impish?

Can an elf look impish?

"I have noticed that you and Legolas do not get along very well…"

"Yes…"

"And I thought that maybe the following occurrence might be humorous to you"

"What occurrence?"

Haldir smiled and turned "Follow me"

They walked side-by-side through the elven city and soon Ava realised that Haldir was leading her to the stables. He opened the door for her and stood aside. Ava gave a quick glance in his direction, still noticing the smile and entered the building.

The stable smelled like horses, hay and wood. She blinked a few times, adjusting her eye s to the dim light, but still saw nothing out of the ordinary. She was just about to ask Haldir what was supposed to be funny when a familiar male voice from the back of the stable called.

"Na man anug, Haldir?"

Ava rolled her eyes.

"You know, I've told you once before that you should stop speaking to me in your language" Ava declared to the phantom Legolas.

There was a slight pause, an elvish word that sounded a lot like a cuss again and finally the words "Fine, come here"

Ava walked to the back of the stable and neared Orion's stall. The horse stood with its back to the small stall door, his head turned upwards. Ava followed his gaze and her eyes widened when she saw the horse's fixation.

Perched on a small wooden ledge in the corner of the stall sat a very frustrated looking Legolas. His feet were lightly dangling from the sill, just out of reach from Orion's mouth. His hands were steadied on either side of him, giving the impression that he might jump anytime soon.

"What are you doing?" Ava breathed.

"Admiring the view" Legolas snapped sarcastically.

"Ok…"

Ava felt a presence to her right and saw Haldir standing at her side. "Your little friend here seemed to have trapped the Mirkwood elf into a tight corner. For the whole night perhaps…"

"Early morning" Legolas corrected

"Why? What did you do?" Ava asked Legolas and placed one of her hands on her hip. Orion gave an aggravated snort and still stared at the elf.

The elf clenched his jaw and shot her a disgusted look.

"What did _I_ do? I'm stuck like a caged animal by your possessed beast here and you asked what_ I_ did? "

"Well, Orion would never behave like this for no reason…"

"Well, he did. I came here last night from the kitchen to ride Gilenwath, but upon entering the stall I only realised to late that they must have moved her, because all that was here was….was this…" he motioned with one of his hands to Orion.

"You came from the kitchen?" Ava asked

"Yes, that's what I said."

"Did you bring anything with?"

"A piece of Honey-cake. Why?"

Ava clasped her hand to the side of her head and shook it. "What did you do with the Honey-cake?"

"I ate it while waiting for your monster to leave. Why?"

Ava let out a snicker and walked over the stall door. She opened the latch and stepped inside to face Orion. "Hey, beastie" she said affectionately "If I promise to give you some honey later, do you promise to let the nasty elf go?"

"Hey! I'm not -"

"Shut-up, Legolas" Ava snapped and said in a crooning voice to the horse "So, will you?"

Orion pressed his nose against Ava's cheek en she rubbed the patch just above it. "It's safe to get down now, Legolas."

Once outside Legolas stormed out head of Ava and Haldir, his hair flipping over her shoulder and his muscles tight with anger and humiliation.

"I never would have thought a man to be so scared of a horse!" Ava laughed and Haldir gave a small smile.

"I heard that!" Legolas yelled in front of them and twisted around, kicking up dust "I was _not_ afraid, but in a position I could not defend myself!"

"Then pray tell me, dear elf, how you would have defended yourself if you could have?" Ava asked sweetly with one hand placed on her hip again; a trait both elves noticed about her. Haldir, the quiet elf he was, was merely observing the two. _Perhaps Ava was enjoying the mortification of the elf to much…and surely she will regret it later. Legolas is a very proud elf_, he thought.

Legolas narrowed his eyes and gave a slight sneer "I would have shot the beast…"

He spun on his heels and left.

Ava's face went pale as the blood drained from her face. Would he actually shoot Orion if he had his bow? Like in kill him? Or wound him? He looked cruel enough…

"Ava, Legolas would not do something like that, he was just provoking your anger…" Haldir soothed. He knew Legolas, as with all elves, that he would never harm animals. Elves treasured them too much.

_Nasty, elf…_Ava thought and not for the last time.

"Come, take a stroll with me through the gardens" Haldir offered her his arm and placed one hand behind his back in a very gentlemanly way.

Ava linked their arms and let Haldir lead her through the tree city once more.

**Elvish Translation: **

Na man anug, Haldir? – Where did you go to, Haldir?

**Yes, I know my chapters should be longer, but I'm just so busy lately. Work, study, wedding etc, etc…but I will try with the next one!**

**If you guys have any cool wedding ideas, please give them to me. I'm clueless!**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and favourite story alerts! **

**Love,**

**The Poet**


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